Connector for joining conductors



Efiwch 21 19% J. QORTGHJSEN comc'ron FOR JOINING CONDUCTORS Filed March 1, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 21, 1950 CONNECTOR FOR JOINING CONDUCTORS Jan Oortgijsen, Rijswijk, Netherlands Application March 1, 1946, Serial No. 651,070 In the Netherlands March 14, 1945 7 Claims.

The present invention relates to electric wire connectors.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide an electric wire connector which is not only extremely simple in construction, but has also a very small contact resistance.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a wire connector which can be used for wires of different size.

With the above objects in view a wire connector according to the present invention mainly consists of an electric wire connector comprising in combination a base, at least one pair of gapforming members arranged on the base, and forming a substantially channel-shaped gap having a width smaller than the depth of the gap, and a contact edge on at least one gapforming member of each pair of gap-forming members adapted to cut into the wire held by the wire connector.

A preferred embodiment of the wire connector according to the present invention includes a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming members, e. g. gap-forming projections arranged on the base spaced apart from each other so that the distance between each two consecutive gaps formed by the gap-forming members is smaller than six times the width of any of these gaps: In this event, a contact edge is provided on at least one gap-formin member of each of the above mentioned consecutive pairs of gap-forming members.

The novel features which I consider as characteristic for my invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:'

. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a wire connector according to my present invention holding a relatively thick electric wire;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the wire connector shown in Fig. 1 holding a relatively thin electric wire;

Fig. 3 is a cross section through a modified wire connector according to my present invention, along line 33 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the wire connector shown in Fig. 3, along line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross section through still another modified wire connector according to my present invention, along line 5-5 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the wire connector shown in Fig. 5, without wires, seen in direction of arrow 6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a longitudinal section through the The invention wire connector shown in Figs. 5 and 6, along line 1-1 of Fig. 5.

The wire connector shown in Figures 1 and 2 is substantially channel-shaped in the same manner as the connector shown in Figures 5 to 7.

It consists of the channel-shaped base member It! made of an electrically insulating material, and being open at its top and at both its ends II and I2.

This. channel-shaped base member I!) is provided with metallic inserts I3, l4, I5, l6 and I! which are arranged consecutively spaced apart from each other and firmly secured, e. g, molded into th channel-shaped base l0.

These inserts are U-shaped so as to form consecutive gaps l8, l9, I9, 20 and 2|.

As clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the distance between each two consecutive gaps formed by the inserts is smaller than six times the width of any of these gaps.

As also evident from Figures 1 and 2, the gapforming inserts l3 to H. are shaped so that the width of the consecutive gaps I8 and 2| formed by thes inserts increase from one end of the connector to the other.

The gap-forming inserts l3 to I! are provided with contact edges 22 adapted to cut into the wire or wires held by the connector.

The connector described above is adapted to hold wires of difierent diameters.

Thus, in Figure l the connector is shown holding an electric wir 23, including a metallic wire core 24 surrounded by the electric insulating cover 25. It is evident that this wire cannot be inserted between the contact edges of the gapforming inserts l6 and I1, and therefore, it is inserted into the connector in such a manner as to be gripped only by the gap-forming inserts l3, l4 and I5. The contact edges of these inserts cut through the insulating cover 25 and into the metallic core 24, as shown.

If the connector is used as shown in Figure 2 for a thin wire 26, this wire is inserted reaching between and gripped by the gap-forming inserts l6 and I! so that these inserts cut through the insulating cover 21 and into the metallic core 28. In this event the gap-forming inserts l3 and I4 do not cut at all through the wire insulation 21 and the insert I 5 does not cut into the metallic core 28, thereby not participating in establishment of electric contact.

The connector shown in Figures 3 and 4 is made entirely out of electrically conductive material, and consists of a channel-shaped member 29 provided with gap-forming projections 30, 3| and 32; having contact edges 33, 34 and 35, respectively, adapted to cut through the insulation 36 of the wire 31 and into the metallic core 38 of the same.

It shoulld be noted that preferably the depth of each or the gaps formed by the inserts in this and all other connectors according to the present invention is greater than the width of the respective gap, so as to enable introduction of two wires to be connected electrically with each other.

The wire connector shown in Figures to 7 is cylindrical in shape, i. e. consists of a cylindrical body 39 provided with a channel-shaped slot 40. To gap forming inserts ll and 42 of the above described type are molded into the cylindrical body 39 projecting into the channel-shaped slot 40, as shown.

The outer edges 43 of the body 39 are bent inward so as to grip the wires to be connected, supporting the holding effect of the gap-forming inserts 4| and 42.

The wires 44 and 45 are inserted into this connector as shown in Figures 5 and 7 with the gapforming inserts 4| and 42 cutting through the insulation and into their metal cores, establishing electrical contact between them.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of electrical connecting means, differing from the types described above.

While I have illustrated and described the invention as embodied in electric wire connectors I do not intend to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural elements may be changed without departing in any way from the spirit of my invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of my invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it.for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and ran e of equivalence of the following claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electric wire connector comprising in combination a base; a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming members arranged on said base spaced apart from each other so that the distance between each two consecutive gaps formed by said gap-forming members is smaller than six times the width of any of said gaps; and a contact edge on at least one gap-forming member of each of said pairs of gap-forming members.

2. An electric wire connector comprising in combination a base; a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming members arranged on said base and shaped so that the width of the consecutive gaps formed by said consecutive pairs of gap-forming members increases from one end of said connector to the other; and a contact edge on at least one gap-forming member or each of said pairs of ap-formin members.

3. An electric wire connector comprising in combination a base; a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming members arranged on said base and shaped so that the width of the consecutive gaps formed by said consecutive pairs of gap-forming members increases from one end of said connector to the other, said consecutive pair of gap-forming members being spaced from each other so that the distance between each two of said consecutive gaps formed by said gaprorming members is smaller than six times the width of any or said gaps; and a contact edge on at least one gap-forming member of each of said pairs of gap-forming members.

4. An electric wire connector comprising-in combination a base; a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming projections arranged on said base spaced apart from each other, each or said pairs of gap-forming projections forming a substantially channel shaped gap having a width greater than one sixth of the distance between each two consecutive pairs of gap-forming projections; and a contact edge on at least one gap-forming projection of each of said pairs of gap-forming projections.

5. An electric wire connector comprising in combination a base; a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming projections arranged on said base and shaped so that the width of the consecutive gaps formed by said consecutive pairs of gap-forming projections increases from one end of said connector to the other, said consecutive pairs of gap-forming projections being spaced from each other so that the distance between each two of said consecutive gaps formed by said gap-forming projections is smaller than six times the width of any of said gaps; and a contact edge on at least one gap-forming projection of each of said pairs of gap-forming projections.

6. An electric wire connector comprising .in combination a base: a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming members arranged on said base spaced apart from each other, each of said pairs of gap-forming members forming a substantially channel-shaped gap having a width greater than one sixth of the distance between each two consecutive pairs of gap-forming members; and a contact edge on at least one gapforming member of each of said pairs of gapforming members adapted to cut through the insulation of the wires held by said connector.

'7. An electric wire connector comprising in combination a base; a plurality of consecutive pairs of gap-forming members arranged on said base spaced apart from each other, each of said pairs of gap-forming members forming a substantially channel-shaped gap having a width greater than one sixth of the distance between each two consecutive pairs of gap-forming members and smaller than the depth of said gaps; and a contact edge on at least one gap-forming member of each of said pairs of gap-forming members adapted to cut through the insulation of the wires held by said connector.

JAN OORTGIJSEN.

REFERENCES cI'rEi) The following references areof record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 817,396 Seymour Apr. 10, 1906 1,171,710 Freixas Feb. 15, 1916 1,488,636 Geiser Apr. 1, 1924 2,121,063 Walter June 21, 1938 2,164,381 Bradley July 4, 1939 2,333,266 Miller Nov. 2, 1943 2,359,090 Dyer Sept. 26, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 116,515 Great Britain June 10, 1918 

